College of Media & Communication

Public Relations: Prospective Students

Why You Should Become a PR Major

The field of public relations is one of the fastest growing professions in the country.
Here are some numbers that illustrate this trend:

The median annual pay in 2012 for a public relations manager was $94,450, and it was
$54,170 for a public relations specialist (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

PR is the #1 Best Creative Job in 2014 (U.S. News and World Report)

There is 13% employment growth expected for PR managers between 2012 and 2022 (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics)

There will be 27,400 new PR specialist job openings before 2022 (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics)

There are 7,000 PR firms in the U.S. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Why You Should Become a PR Major at Texas Tech

This is an exciting time for public relations majors at Texas Tech. At the undergraduate
level, students get a curriculum that not only arms them with knowledge of the tools
and tactics that they'll need to succeed as entry level practitioners, but also the
strategic planning and research skills that they'll need to develop into effective
managers and leaders. And they get all this from a department with faculty committed
to offering a student-centered curriculum aimed at preparing graduates to take their
places in molding the industry's exciting future.

Our public relations core curriculum focuses on providing students with training in
strategy, planning, research, writing, social media, graphic design and management.
This coursework is supplemented by special topic electives that delve deeper into
specific practice areas and specializations, such as crisis communication sports public
relations, event management, nonprofit public relations, political public relations
and international public relations. Students are free to explore other media and communication
majors to tailor their degree program toward an emphasis in strategic communication,
media relations or digital content creation. The undergraduate experience is rounded
out through internships and participation in student groups, such as Tech PR, the
student public relations association, RaiderComm, the student-run public relations
firm, and The Outpost, the college's social media lab.

Students bring together the skills and experience that they've acquired during their
final semester when they are enrolled in Public Relations Campaigns, the capstone
course for graduating public relations majors. Here, students work in account teams
with real-world clients to research, develop and pitch a comprehensive public relations
campaign. In the past, students have produced campaigns for local, regional and national
clients, such as:

American Cancer Society

Lubbock Lions Club

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

U.S. Air Force Academy

National Safe Place

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest

Lubbock Animal Services

American Red Cross of Dallas/Fort Worth

Upon completion of the public relations degree, graduates should be prepared to enter
a dynamic, exciting field that includes opportunities to practice public relations
across a variety of industries and contexts. Some possible careers in public relations
include: